Sesifikile eJerusalema, abazalwane basemukela ngokujabula. Ngakusasa uPawula wahamba nathi waya kuJakobe; onke amalunga eza. UPawula esewabingelele, wawalandisa ngakho konke, ngakunye ngakunye, uNkulunkulu ayekwenze kwabezizwe ngenkonzo yakhe.
Sebekuzwile lokho bamdumisa uNkulunkulu, bathi kuye: “Uyabona, mzalwane, ukuthi ziningi kangakanani izinkulungwane zalabo asebekholwa, ezikhona phakathi kwabaJuda, futhi bonke bayizishisekeli zomthetho! Babikelwe ngawe ukuthi ufundisa bonke abaJuda, abaphakathi kwabezizwe, ukuhlubuka kuMose, uthi mabangabasoki abantwana babo, futhi bangawagcini amasiko. Pho manje sesizokwenzenjani na? Impela bazakuzwa ukuthi usufikile. Ngakho-ke yenza lokhu esizakukutshela khona: kukhona phakathi kwethu amadoda amane azibophile ngesifungo, wathathe uzihlambulule kanye nawo, uwakhokhele ukuze aphuce amakhanda, khona bonke bezokwazi ukuthi akukho lutho oluliqiniso kulokho okubikiwe ngawe, kodwa ukuthi nawe uyavumelana nomthetho futhi uyawugcina. Kepha maqondana nabezizwe abakholwayo, sesibalobele sanquma ukuthi mabakugweme okuhlatshelwe izithombe, igazi, inyama yesilwane esiklinyiweyo nobufebe.”
Ngakho-ke uPawula wathatha lawo madoda, kwathi ngakusasa wazihlambulula kanye nawo, wangena ethempelini, wabazisa ngokuphela kwezinsuku zokuhlanjululwa, kuze kwenziwe umnikelo walowo nalowo.
Kuthe sekuzophela izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, abaJuda base-Asiya bembonile ethempelini, bagovuza sonke isixuku, bambamba, bamemeza bathi: “Madoda akwa-Israyeli, yelekelelani! Nguye lo muntu ofundisa bonke ezindaweni zonke okuphambene nesizwe, nomthetho, nale ndawo, futhi ufike namaGriki wawangenisa ethempelini, wayingcolisa le ndawo engcwele.”
Ngokuba babekade bembonile phambilini uThroyifimu wase-Efesu esemzini naye, ababecabanga ukuthi uPawula umngenise ethempelini.
Umuzi wonke wanyakaziswa, abantu babuthanela ndawonye, bambamba uPawula, bamhudulela ngaphandle kwethempeli; iminyango yavalwa ngokuphazima kweso. Kuthe sebefuna ukumbulala, kwafika izwi enduneni yenkulungwane elithi lonke iJerusalema liyaphithizela. Yathatha ngokushesha amabutho nezinduna zekhulu, yagijimela kubo. Kuthe sebebona induna yenkulungwane namabutho, bayeka ukumshaya uPawula.
Yayisisondela induna yenkulungwane, yamthatha, yayala ukuba aboshwe ngamaketanga amabili, yayisibuza ukuthi ungubani nokuthi wenzeni. Abanye esixukwini babememeza besho lokhu, nabanye besho lokhuya, ayangakwazi ukuthola iqiniso ngenxa yomsindo, yase iyala ukuba ayiswe enkanjini. Kuthe lapho esefikile esikhwelweni, wathwalwa ngamabutho ngenxa yokuminyana kwesixuku, ngokuba isixuku sabantu sasisimemeza sithi: “Msuseni!” Lapho esezongeniswa enkanjini, uPawula wathi enduneni yenkulungwane: “Ngabe ngivunyelwe yini ukuba notho engilushoyo kuwe na?”
Yona yathi: “Uyasazi yini isiGriki na? Kanti awusiye yini umGibhithe, okwathi ngaphambi kwalezi zinsuku wadala isiyaluyalu, wembuka, waholela amadoda ayizi-4 000 ehlane, angababulali na?”
Kepha uPawula, wathi: “Mina ngingumJuda waseTharsu eKhilikhiya, isakhamuzi somuzi odumileyo. Ngiyacela ukuba ungivumele ngikhulume kubantu.”
Esemvumele, uPawula wema esikhwelweni, wathulisa abantu ngesandla. Kwase kuthula kuthi cwaka, wayesekhuluma ngolimi lwesiHebheru, ethi
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